Newspaper receptacle



July 3, 1962 R. D. MILLER NEWSPAPER RECEPTACLE Filed Nov. 23, 1960 INVENTOR. IZOLFOED D. MlLLEZ.

A-r T02 H as United States Patent 3,042,2a3 NEWSPAPER RECEPTACLE Rolford D. Miller, 5323 S. Kimbark Ave., Chicago 15, Ill. Filed Nov. 23, 1960, Ser. No. 71,251 3 Claims. (Cl. 232-17) The invention relates to receptacles such as are commonly used in rural districts for receiving and protecting from the elements newspapers delivered to homes by newsboys, and it primarily seeks to provide novel means for so positioning a delivered newspaper in the receptacle as to assure protection of the paper from inclement weather or moisture collection.

Receptacles of the character stated are well known and usually comprise tubular structures open at one end for receiving the delivered newspapers and mounted by bracket means on supporting posts or the like. Such receptacles often become wet inside and at the bottom due to rain beating into the open end thereof, or merely by collection of moisture along the bottom of the tube externally followed by ingress interiorly through longitudinal bottom openings customarily provided, or through apertures through which fastener means are projected.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in a newspaper receptacle of the character stated a novel leaf spring means placed to provide a yieldable floor or support over which a newspaper may be inserted into the receptacle and which serves to hold the newspaper up off the floor or sometimes moisture laden bottom of the receptacle, thereby to avoid wetting of the paper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a leaf spring means as aforesaid which is attached to the bottom of the receptacle at the open end thereof and extending upwardly and toward the opposite end of the receptacle to provide a yieldable support effective to hold a deposited newspaper above the bottom or floor of the receptacle and against the top portion thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a leaf spring means of the character stated which is mountable as an attachment to existing newspaper receptacles, having at one end thereof a gripping clip or clamp portion removably engageable with the bottom wall of the receptacle at the open end thereof.

With the above and other objects in View that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claim and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a newspaper receptacle embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the receptacle shown in FIGURE 1, a newspaper being shown in place therein.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross section of the receptacle shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a detail perspective view showing the leaf spring supporting means per se and which is readily mountable on or removable from a newspaper receptacle.

In the example disclosure of the invention, the tubular receptacle is generally designated 5'- and includes a bottom or floor 6, upright sides 7, a top portion 8 and a closed end 9. The closed end 9 is secured in place by aseam structure 10. The other end of the tubular receptacle is open as at 11 and is reinforced by an outwardly turned hem 12.

Newspaper receptacles of the character described are well known and they usually have an open seam or space 13 extending along the bottom center thereof. Usually, such receptacles have a mounting bracket 14 secured to the bottom thereof as at 15 and which is removably secured at 16 to a supporting post or column 17 in order to position the receptacle so that a newspaper can be inserted into the open end thereof with facility.

A leaf spring attachment generally designated 18 is provided and is so mounted as to serve as a means for providing a yieldable floor over which to receive an tinserted article such as a newspaper in a manner for holding the same up off the receptacle bottom, thereby to avoid wetting of the article by moisture on the bottom of the receptacle or collecting and entering at the bottom seam or opening 13. The leaf spring attachment includes a flat spring steel body portion 19 and is equipped at one end with a mounting clip or clamp portion 20 which is engageable over the bottom or floor 6 as at 21 as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, It will be apparent that the body portion of the attachment is arched or bowed upwardly from the position of the gripping clip or clamp 20 to be placed against or approximately against the top portion of the receptacle where it will be deflected downwardly during the insertion of the newspaper through the open end of the receptacle and serve as a yieldable floor or support. The free end extremity of the leaf spring body is downward-1y turned as at 22 so as to avoid tearing contact with an inserted newspaper.

It will be apparent that the leaf spring attachment shown in detail in FIGURE 4 will be readily attached to an existing tubular receptacle by merely slipping the clip or clamp portion 20 over the receptacle bottom at the open end thereof, as shown in FIGURE 2. It will be apparent that when the leaf spring is so mounted, it will be deflected downwardly during the insertion of a newspaper thereover, regardless of the size of the paper, and will yieldably press the paper against the top portion of the receptacle and thus assure against contact of the newspaper with the receptacle bottom such as might result in a wetting of the paper.

While a preferred example disclosure of the invention is made herein, it is to be understood that variations in the form of the receptacle, or of the leaf spring and the mounting thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A readily mountable and removable article support for attachment to a tubular receptacle for a newspaper or the like for maintaining the article above the receptacle bottom wherein the receptacle has an open end reinforced by an outwardly turned hem, said article support comprising a one-piece leaf spring having a re versely turned forward clamp portion and a body portion; said clamp portion including a terminal lower part and an intermediate upper part disposed in converging angular relation, and a bight resiliently connecting said terminal part to said intermediate part with said bight being adapted to snugly engage a receptacle hem to retain said article support therein; said body portion including a convexly curved forward part projecting sharply upwardly from the rear of said upper part, and a straight rear part; and a down-turned rear extremity on said body portion for preventing accidental tearing of the article and being adapted to support the rear of said body portion when said body portion is greatly downwardly deflected under load.

2. The combination of a receptacle for a newspaper or the like wherein the receptacle is of the type including bottom, top, side and end portion forming a tube open at one end and closed at the other end, and an article support disposed within said receptacle for retaining an article within the receptacle and spaced above the bottom portion thereof, said article support being in the form of a one-piece leaf spring and comprising a forward mounting portion secured to said bottom wall adjacent said open end and a body portion, said body portion including a convexly curved forward part projecting sharply upwardly from the rear of said mounting portion and a straight rear part, and a down-turned rear extremity on said body portion for preventing accidental tearing of an article supported thereon and being adapted to engage said receptacle bottom portion and support the rear of said body portion when the body portion is greatly deflected under load.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the bottom portion of said receptacle has an outwardly turned hem, and said spring forward mounting portion is in the form of a resilient clamp having an upper straight portion contacting an upper surface of said receptacle bottom portion, an upwardly and rearwardly sloping lower portion engaging the underside of said receptacle bottom portion, and a bight portion connecting together said upper straight portion and said upwardly and rearwardly sloping lower portion, said bight portion snugly engaging said hem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 501,279 Knight July 11, 1893 1,564,073 Johnson Dec. 1, 1925 2,041,349 Johnson May 19, 1936 2,414,613 Ruetsch Jan. 21, 1947 2,532,289 Cahiil Dec. 5, 1950 2,553,164 Bishop May 15, 1951 2,628,878 Slonneger Feb. 17, 1953 2,637,440 Lodewick Mar. 5, 1953 2,730,298 Haserodt Jan. 10, 1956 2,845,217 Jacques July 29, 1958 2,927,726 Workman Mar. 8, 1960 

